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Coffee Talk

Make introductions, meet new community members and discuss ideas. Join for an engaging conversation and make lasting connections in the Arboretum.

  • 396 Topics
  • 2,298 Replies
396 Topics
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
🔦 Member Spotlight – Zachary Walker, VP of Social Media at The Motion Agency

Time to Meet Zachary WalkerThis month’s Member Spotlight shines on ​@zach.walker, VP of Social Media at The Motion Agency! Zachary’s journey in marketing is as dynamic as it is inspiring, and his passion for elevating others in the industry makes his story one you don’t want to miss.Breaking Barriers in AdvertisingAs a POC and marketing leader, Zachary is proud to represent diversity and champion inclusivity within the advertising industry. He’s a trailblazer who uses his platform to create opportunities and highlight underrepresented voices.From Kitchens to CampaignsBefore diving into marketing, Zachary had dreams of becoming a chef and even worked at one of the world’s best restaurants. (We bet his cooking skills are still top-tier!) That passion for creativity and precision now fuels his work in social media.Highlight Moment: Navy PierZachary’s recent work with Navy Pier is a standout moment in his career. As part of an integrated new business pitch, his agency landed Navy Pier as a

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
16 hours ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
This Year In Social: The Biggest Stories in Social Media!3-Minute Video

As we say goodbye to 2024, we’re looking back at the moments that defined the year in social media.Check out this week’s special episode of This Week in Social, where we highlight the top four stories that had the biggest impact on our industry. From platform innovations to viral trends, it’s a quick and fun recap you won’t want to miss! What were your favorite social media moments of the year? Drop your thoughts below—we’d love to hear from you! Here’s to another year of learning, growing, and making an impact in the social media world.

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
16 hours ago
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Engaged User
mihaela.stefanovaEngaged User
posted in Coffee Talk
You should try to tailor your initiatives to European customers

It seems like all the extra things Sprout does are always geared at an American audience. All the webinars you do are during times that are after the workday finishes in Europe. This means that none of your European customers can join live and benefit from asking questions, connecting with people in the comments and etc. In addition, this year’s Giveaway Extravaganza emails were sent at 4:30pm in the UK, which would be 5:30 or even 6:30pm in Europe. By the time we’ve seen the email the next day, the competition of the day is already closed. So again, we can’t participate. I also assume you’re not shipping prizes internationally, so we wouldn’t be able to claim anything even if we do win. In which case you could at least exclude us from emails that aren’t relevant. It genuinely feels like we’re missing out on so much and are overlooked as a customer group.  

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Gayatri Shukla
Community Manager
1 day ago
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New User
lindsey.weitzNew User
posted in Coffee Talk
Introducing Myself 😎

Hi fellow social media friends :) My name is Lindsey Weitz, and I am a social media manager for an Automotive Group in Upstate NY. I am a Virginia Tech alum (Go Hokies), but I’ve lived in the Upstate NY area my whole life. Outside of work I love to watch football (Go Giants), watch Formula 1, cook, do anything in the art realm, and travel! My position is brand new within the auto group, and I’m starting from zero when it comes to building their social strategy. I create all the content myself, so I’m always working in Adobe. One of my professional goals for next year is to get better at After Effects. So, if any of you are also social media managers in the automotive industry, I’d love to connect and hear more about how you’ve crafted your strategy! 

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New User
2 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
The Arboretum’s Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza HubNow through December 13th

The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza 🎉Welcome to The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza, Arboretum members! We’re thrilled to bring you 10 days of fun, engaging activities, meaningful connections, and amazing prizes. From December 2 to December 13, join us every weekday for daily prompts and a chance to win exciting prizes.What’s Happening:Daily Prompts & Prizes: Each day, we’ll post a new activity in the forums. Participate in discussions, share your ideas, and connect with fellow members to win incredible prizes, including Ember Smart Mugs, Bose Headphones, JBL Speakers, and more! Grand Prize: The most engaged member across the entire event will win an exclusive reMarkable Tablet & Premium Accessories on December 16. Participation counts—so the more you contribute, the better your chances! Free to Join: It’s easy and free for all Arboretum members to take part. Daily Prompts & PrizesHere’s a sneak peek of what’s in store:Day 1 (12/2): [Share your top productivity tip]

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
4 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 10: Reflect & Celebrate with Us!Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza Finale

Welcome to the grand finale of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza! Over the past 10 days, we’ve connected, shared, and learned so much together. Now, it’s time to reflect on the highlights of our year in The Arboretum community.Here’s What to Do:1️⃣ Share your favorite Arb or career moment from this year in the comments. What stood out, made an impact, or brought a smile to your face?2️⃣ Engage with at least two other reflections to celebrate the memories we’ve created together.Today’s Grand Prize:One lucky participant will win an Upgraded Second Monitor & High-End Ergonomic Desk Chair—a dream setup for any social media professional. 🎁Thank you for making this event unforgettable. Let’s celebrate the connections, insights, and fun we’ve shared. Share your reflections below!

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emily.murray
Advanced User
4 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 5: Why Do You Love The Arb?Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza

Happy Friday and welcome to Day 5 of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza! Today, we’re spreading the word about The Arboretum and why it's such a great place for social media professionals.What to Do:1. Share a post on social media about the benefits of being part of The Arboretum. What do you love about this community?2.Tag The Arboretum by Sprout Social page in your Linkedin post.3.Reply to this thread with a link to your social post. Let’s inspire others to join our growing community! Today’s Prizes:Two participants will win Beats Studio Buds Noise-Cancelling Earbuds, Arb Water bottle and an Auto Face Tracking Phone Holder—perfect for staying focused and creating wherever you are. 🎁And don’t forget—the fun doesn’t stop here! Our giveaways continue next week with even more exciting prompts and prizes. Join us Monday for another chance to connect, share, and win.If you thought the prizes were good this week, wait until you see what we have in store!  

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
8 days ago
jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
jaxn.engstromAdvanced User
asked in Coffee Talk
End of Year Brainstorm - #Wrapped Content on Social?

It’s officially grind time to start working on our year-end recap for both our social channels and team reports. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been refining what I want the “End of Year Recap” to look like on social, and I’ve had some mild success with it.I use the Reports tab in Sprout to find and highlight the top posts from the year. Since we’re a healthcare organization, most of these are patient stories, which is great because it allows us to give them some well-deserved recognition again. Specifically on LinkedIn, I’ll reshare the top-performing blogs, noting that they are our most viewed posts of the year, and it usually gets decent engagement.I’m curious—what does your brand or company do, if anything, to recap the previous year? I’d love to hear your ideas and brainstorm together!

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K
Engaged User
8 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 7: Help Each Other Out & Win Big!Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza

Welcome to Day 7 of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza! ✨Today, we’re focusing on supporting each other and sharing our expertise to solve challenges.Here’s What to Do:Find two unanswered questions or submit your own in the below forum and share your insights or advice.https://community.sproutsocial.com/search/activity/unanswered Reply thoughtfully and provide value to help your fellow Arboretum members! Share a link to questions your answered below! Today’s Prizes:Three lucky participants will win Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones and an Arboretum Notebook, Socks and Pen—perfect for staying productive and inspired! 🎧✨Your advice could be just what someone needs, so jump in and make a difference. Let’s connect, learn, and grow together!Learn more about Week 2 of our giveaway, here.

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Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
9 days ago
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Advanced User
Brittany TaylorAdvanced User
posted in Coffee Talk
What changes are you making based on the Giveaway Extravaganza conversations?

We’re less than a week in and the December Giveaway Extravaganza conversation topics and responses are already impacting the way I work--thank you Sprout and the Arboretum community! 👀 I’m curious: Have you made any changes yet based on the conversations you’ve taken part in here?Here’s my list…Started a running “scratch paper” document in Word, saved to OneDrive so I can access on all my devices. I’m using headline styles to create a table of contents and adding each new idea/suggestion/bit of brainstorming or writing with a new heading. This was a day-1 productivity tip based on ​@katie.deaton’s Parking Lot concept. ​@lisa.rodrigo also mentioned that she screenshots everything. I tend to do that too, but never return to the screenshots I’ve taken! I’m combining the two concepts here so I can 🤞 be a little bit less forgetful about going back to my notes and reminders.   Started a running meeting agenda/notes page in my paper planner. This is a productivity hack from ​@jon.mau, who k

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Advanced User
9 days ago
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Advanced User
robbie.schneiderAdvanced User
asked in Coffee Talk
Favorite Interview Questions

Our team is expanding! As I’m prepping for our candidate interviews, let me ask: What is your favorite question in an interview?

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Advanced User
10 days ago
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Advanced User
TAMAYSAdvanced User
asked in Coffee Talk
Community Manager vs Comment Engager

What are the key distinctions between basic comment engagement and comprehensive community building, and how can I determine when to outsource these activities? And if someone is doing community growth are they coming up with strategy or are they executing strategy?

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Katy4Riskonnect
Advanced User
10 days ago
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Frequent User
dannytza.rodriguezFrequent User
posted in Coffee Talk
Alcohol: How are you navigating the new TBB online promotion rules?

I'm curious how others in the industry are adapting to the recent changes in the TBB (Trade Buyer Behavior) social media promotion guidelines. What approaches are you finding effective? Any tools, platforms, or specific tactics that are proving successful for you? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing ideas! https://www.ttb.gov/ttb-issues-updated-industry-circular-use-social-media-advertising-alcohol-beverages

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Advanced User
10 days ago
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rababSprout Team
asked in Coffee Talk
EOY Reporting

What are some challenges you have with your EOY Reporting in Sprout? How do you work around them? 

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Engaged User
10 days ago
becca.alexander
Engaged User
becca.alexanderEngaged User
asked in Coffee Talk
Brand Ambassadors / Content Creators

Wondering if anyone has successfully created a team of local creators/micro-influencers (1,000+ followers) to promote their business regularly, almost like brand ambassadors. We’re looking into this idea to increase the UGC associated with our brand from other accounts on social and would love any insight into what worked and what didn’t!

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melissa.carrier
Engaged User
10 days ago
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Engaged User
Chelsey.StoaEngaged User
asked in Coffee Talk
Two Factor Authentication

Hello! I work for an agency and we have run into quite a few instances lately with Meta + Google needing two-factor authentication. The problem arises when we are required to add a phone number to an account to create or login. I’m curious - how do other agencies handle this? Do you have a team phone that you connect accounts to? A WhatsApp number? Thank you! 

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raven.gill
Agency Partner
10 days ago
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rababSprout Team
asked in Coffee Talk
Social Listening

What’s your favorite feature in Sprout’s Advanced Listening? How do you implement it in your workstreams? 

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
10 days ago
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Engaged User
KTBrinesEngaged User
asked in Coffee Talk
What are the Top Influencer - Affiliate Conferences?

I work for an e-commerce, legacy brand and we are really wanting to increase the work we do with influencers and affiliates. What are some conferences or online webinars you’d recommend that are NOT as creator focused. Also, we already use Impact and Share-A-Sale, so hopefully one that isn’t just trying to push their affiliate marketing products.  

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New User
10 days ago
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New User
GuillermoxFNew User
asked in Coffee Talk
Need Tips: Managing Influencers

I have eight influencers around the country I am managing for my side business and my goal is to get them to Chicago this summer for a weekend retreat. I would love tips on how to keep them engaged with a limited budget. How can I make them feel special and do the work I need them to do?

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New User
10 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 6: Share Your Favorite Tool & Celebrate Week 2!Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza

Welcome to Week 2 of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza! We’re turning up the excitement with bigger prizes and even more ways to connect with your peers.Here’s Today’s Challenge:Reply to this thread with your favorite digital tool that makes your work easier and explain why it’s your go-to. Engage with at least two other posts to discover tools you might love too!Today’s Prizes:Two lucky participants will win a Lamicall Laptop Stand and a $150 Amazon Gift Card—a perfect combo to boost your productivity and workspace! 🎁*Laptop not included in prize package.Week 2 is packed with some of our largest prizes, so don’t miss out. Let’s make it unforgettable—start sharing below!Don’t miss out on this week! Learn more here:  

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Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
10 days ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Welcome New Members - December 9, 2024

Hey everyone! Welcome to The Arboretum—so excited to have you join us!Let's kick things off and get to know one another:🌟 Introduce Yourself: Tell us your name, your role, and what got you passionate about social media.💻 Favorite Platform: Which social media platform do you find most captivating and why?🚀 Campaign Highlight: Share a standout campaign you've either worked on or really admired. What made it so perfect?💡 Expert Advice: What’s your top tip for crafting killer social media content?🔮 Future Trends: What do you think is the next big thing in social media, and how are you getting ready for it?🧠 Learning Objectives: What are your goals for learning and achieving within our community?Your stories and insights are what make The Arboretum unique. Let’s support each other and create an incredible community! ​ @jo.zhou @isatimiraos @geishagarcia @alyssadavis @Crownshite @pamela.reynoso @maybegoodbye @maggie.karantonakis @Ruth.Clay @lizadaaniel @Benjamin01 @kelly.mclemore @dela

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New User
11 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
🔦 Member Spotlight – Shannon Waldschmidt, Head of Social Media Marketing at The Cigna GroupMember Spotlight

Time to meet, Shannon Waldschmidt!​@shannon.waldschmidt, our Member Spotlight for November, leads the social media marketing team at The Cigna Group – a team that’s just been recognized as a finalist for "Best Use of Social Media" by the Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing Awards! 👏 She’s been shaping the way social connects and engages, taking innovation to the next level. But there’s more to Shannon than you might expect from a Head of Social…From Journalism Major to Social Media MavenBelieve it or not, Shannon didn’t start her career in marketing! She’s a former journalism major with a dance minor, and she even dipped her toes into musical theater. This artsy background fuels her creative spark on social – and we think that’s pretty cool!Shoutout to @Things.I.Bought.and.LikedWhen it comes to inspiration, Shannon is all about authenticity. She loves the account @Things.I.Bought.and.Liked for its honest, no-sponsorship approach to sharing recommendations. Shannon loves th

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jaxn.engstrom
Advanced User
14 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 3: Coffee Talk Reflections ☕️Holiday Giveaway Extravanganza

CLOSED FOR ENTRIESWelcome to Day 3 of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza!Today, we’re hosting our Virtual Coffee Talk at 12 pm CT. Join us for our virtual networking event, then come back here and share what resonated with you most during the session.Step 1 : Register here:Step 2:Join us at 12pm CTStep 3:Reply to this thread with your favorite takeaway, idea, or insight from today’s Coffee Talk. What stood out to you, and how will it help you in your work or approach to social media?Today’s Prizes:Two participants will win a Logitech Webcam, Arboretum mug and $100 Amazon Gift Card—perfect for leveling up your virtual meeting setup! 🎁Let’s keep the conversation going and build on the ideas we explored together during the session. Share your reflections below, and don’t forget to reply to at least two other members’ posts to spark more collaboration!

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julia.gross
Advanced User
14 days ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 2: Show Us Your Workspace!🎁 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza

CLOSED FOR ENTRIESWelcome to Day 2 of The 2024 Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza!Today, we're celebrating the spaces where all the magic happens—your workspaces.What to Do:Reply with a photo of your workspace here in this thread below and tell us how it inspires your creativity or helps you stay productive. Is it the setup? The view? A special item that keeps you motivated? Share your story!Today’s Prizes:We’re giving away a JBL Go 4 Portable Speaker and $75 Amazon Gift Card to three lucky winners to energize your workspace! 🎁Don’t stop there—like and reply to at least three other posts to share compliments, ask questions, or swap ideas. Let’s spark some inspiration together and keep the conversation going!Also, make sure to RSVP and attends tomorrow’s Coffee talk for a chance to win 1 of 2 Logitech Webcam AND a $100 Amazon Gift Card!Learn more about our Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza, here.

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Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
15 days ago
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Engaged User
rileyrroseEngaged User
posted in Coffee Talk
Giveaway Day 2 - my office space

 My workspace! My fav part is the big window beside me where I can look out over the yard - especially when it’s covered in beautiful snow like today! The thing that keeps me most motivated is caffeine (not pictured as it’s in my hand not on the desk hehe).

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Engaged User
16 days ago
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